1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to package dispensing, and particularly to a device for both displaying and dispensing a plurality of product-containing packages.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Devices for displaying and/or dispensing various products or product-containing packages are well known in the prior art. Illustrative examples may be found in the following documents:
U.S. Pat. No. 1,999,879 (Lee) - Discloses a bottle cap package and dispenser comprising a hollow cylindrical tube with a longitudinal slot therein for containing a stack of oriented round caps, each having a radially outwardly extending tab that projects through the tube slot to orient the cap for appropriate dispensing from one end of the tube to cooperating bottle capping apparatus.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,212,129 (Rust) - Discloses a can dispenser comprising a vertical, hollow, cylindrical tube having a wide longitudinal slot on its forward-facing side to display labels on cans stacked therein and a forward-facing opening at the bottom thereof for removing the lowermost can.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,265,245 (Harden) - Discloses a key blank dispenser comprising a vertical chute for containing and dispensing a stack of key blanks, each key blank having a wide head portion and a narrow elongate body portion, the chute being configured as a cylindrical tube with a longitudinal slot extending down its rear side and an opening, opposite the slot, at the bottom of its front side, each key blank in the stack having its head portion disposed within the cylindrical tube and its body portion projecting rearwardly through the slot, so that the forward-facing end of the lowermost head portion is aligned with the front opening at the bottom of the tube, for eJecting engagement by a master key inserted through that opening.
While product displaying and dispensing devices such as those exemplified above may have sufficed for their intended purposes, there is now an increasing need for a more efficient and convenient device to display and dispense, in the marketplace, packages such as those adapted to protectively enclose photosensitive products. That need heretofore has not been satisfactorily met.